November 20 – Major League Soccer (MLS) owners have started the formal process of planning for life after Don Garber. According to two senior sources familiar with the discussions, a small group of owners met to begin mapping out the commissioner’s succession and have hired The Miles Group (TMG) to guide the search.
The meeting took place behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida, just before the league’s full Board of Governors session the following day. Garber was not part of the conversation. The committee later briefed the rest of the board in an executive session, outlining the initial steps and confirming TMG’s involvement.
Garber’s contract currently runs through what was supposed to be the end of the 2027 season, though that now overlaps with the midpoint of 2027-28 after the league’s decision to adopt a summer-to-spring calendar. It’s still unclear whether his deal has been adjusted to reflect that shift.
Garber has been at the helm since 1999, presiding over one of the most dramatic growth periods in American sports.
MLS has expanded from a shaky 12-team operation into an established league with multi-million-dollar stadium projects, record transfer fees, and unprecedented commercial partnerships, including a multi-year Apple TV deal.
He helped steer MLS through near extinction in the early 2000s, brought in owners with deep pockets, and pushed for aggressive investment in youth development and infrastructure.
Whoever steps in next will inherit a league that’s more stable and ambitious than ever, but also one facing global expectations and a rapidly evolving American soccer landscape. The succession committee’s work marks the start of that transition.